Welcome to this week’s Ring of Honor review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have a tag team grudge match for the main event that can rival the passive aggressive feelings that Tom Brady has after he just got his ass handed to him by the Detroit Lions. I’m not even a big sports fan and I think that’s cool!

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 -This was a good match that had lots of firm back and forth offense from both teams. The Boys make for a good team and it’s a shame we don’t see more of them. I like the bizarre nature of Dalton Castle’s weirdo brigade and if The Boys can get more bookings on Ring of Honor’s television show, then they might be able to become an act worth watching, just like their opponents, The Best Friends. Speaking of The Best Friends, these guys had another good night and could very well fill the void that now exists thanks to the end of the Motor City Machine Guns. I like the exuberance of Taylor and Baretta, which they channel into every movement they make. Look for several fun sequences of kinetic action from these two teams that bear some resemblance to a Young Bucks/Motor City Machine Guns bout from a few years back in TNA/Impact. Over-all, this was a fun opener that did its job, quite well.

Match #2: Kenny King beat Adam Page

My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was a fine match that was like sparks flying from a scorching flame. I sounded like a real reviewer there, didn’t I? I can’t let that happen. King and Page worked very well together here and had a great series of physical exchanges that continued their aggressive confrontation at a magnificent level. Uh-oh. I just sounded pretentious. Back to the salt mine. King was the most interesting he’s been as a wrestler in several months here, getting back to his animated ways in grand fashion. Page is quite the image when you see him now, as he works like cannon with legs. What the hell does that mean? Who cares? Before I get too caught up in my own insanity, let me just say that I really like it when two talented wrestlers get the chance to have a fine match. Congratulations to both men for having a good showing here.

Match #3: Brian Johnson versus Donte Calbero – Top Prospect Match

My Take: 0 out of 5 – Jeff Cobb humiliated these guys in an embarrassing display that made Cobb look good, but killed the Top Prospect tournament when Donte was decimated and Johnson proved he was a geek. I get the idea of having Cobb make a big debut, but why not just have him attack Punishment Martinez and set him up as an immediate contender who just has to win enough to be the contender? They’ve buried so many excellent wrestlers by having them be trounced during these beatings from Jeff Cobb. I like Cobb, but no one deserves to be pissed on just to get one guy over.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was a good main event that served to establish the winners as a capable tandem that can fight Colt Cabana and Flip Gordon at Death Before Dishonor. The athleticism was provided by Lethal and Gresham, who worked fast and firm. God, I sound like I’m describing a work-out video and a porno at the same time. Ray has a hard time keeping up with the lighter wrestlers, but he’s gotten so much better than where he was a decade ago. Ray is such an effective heel that he makes it almost a civic duty to see him lose. I liked Young’s work here as well, especially his minimalist approach that he has utilized in the past few years. Young has beaten a drug addiction and doesn’t seem too keen on giving himself a reason to walk right back into any-thing like that, whether it is pain-killers or some-thing more powerful. Over-all, this was a good way to end the card and a decent set-up for Death Before Dishonor.

Final Verdict: 2 out of 5

This was a card with some good action, but as a complete package, it felt like it was missing some postage, if you catch my drift? I get that an hour is a hard thing to book for when you have the needs of a full-time wrestling league, but when you have the climax of your cards before a major event like Death Before Dishonor, the last match before that event should be of tremendous importance, so people see that you can deliver a big show. A Pay Per View is always a hard sell in the 21st Century with the advent of YouTube and the only way to convince folks that you have got the goods for PPV is to assure them you can do it for free with the typical limitations in place. This episode of ROH TV served as a nice reminder that there is a big card coming this week, but it didn’t do half as much to convince me that it is a necessity for me to buy it.